| Answer | Crossword Clue |
|---|---|
| HOUSINGBUBBLE | Lead-up to the Great Recession |
| WMD | Acronym used in the lead-up to the Iraq War |
| ALEA | "Give Schweppes Ginger ... try!" (brilliant soda slogan I just made up) (this clue dedicated to the great Merl Reagle, the master of saving weak entries; RIP, Merl) |
| IDEAS | They can lead to great things |
| HEROICEFFORTS | They may lead to great feats |
| ENDGAME | Lead-up to mating |
| TRA | Lead-up to la |
| ABCDEF | They lead up to G |
| RSTU | They lead up to V |
| PLOT | Lead-up to a coup |
| LABOR | Lead-up to a special delivery? |
| HYPE | It may lead up to a letdown |
| ADSITE | What a pop-up link might lead to |
| HEM | Bringing it up can lead to a fit |
